Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Self Care has become the buzz phrase of the millennial, and honestly, thank God for that! Given the state of the world, it is one good thing to come from these ~trying times, that taking care of yourself is no longer viewed completely as selfish, or self indulgence. Now I know there are the usual ones. Spend time with friends, treat yourself, all that good stuff, and I support that 1000 % but what else is there?! We are dealing with a lot as a society, and so, when the times get tough here are my TOP FIVE tips for keep on keeping on!

Alternative therapies. For those of us that deal with chronic illness in whatever form it might take, the medical side of things is pretty well covered in our day to day lives. But, let it do it’s job, and maybe indulge in a little peace of mind practice too! I fully recommend finding your local Reiki master and letting go for an hour. If that isn’t your shot of whiskey, then a monthly treat of a little Facial/ Spa treatment works wonders! Nothing some deep breathing, some microdermabrasion, with anything lavender, and rose can’t at least put into perspective! Let’s literally stop and smell the roses, people, even if you’re smearing it all over your face! Oxygenate your skin, get that glow on the outside and it’ll make it’s way inside!

Currently loving!

The +Lush Belfast Rosy Cheeks Face Mask for that amazing DIY facial experience. It smells SO good, and it works wonders for dehydrated skin, acne scars and it really does give you rosy cheeks!

Manifestation. Day Dream, basically. Do what they told you to stop doing in school. Binaural Music helps amazingly with those of us that deal with anxiety to sit back and drift away for ten or sixty minutes ;) Or if that doesn’t suit you, why not find your favourite new Podcast and learn something new, my latest fave has been from the Crooked Media Group with Pod Save America, and Lovett or Leave it!

Earphones in, Trainers on, Walk a mile in your own shoes. FRESH AIR. It doesn’t have to be a mile. It could be more, it could be less than a ten minute dander around your neighbourhood. Regardless of what it is, getting outside and getting that fresh air is a must. I sometimes find myself reclusive, when my CP is acting up and my pain levels are just too high, or it’s raining, or there’s a new episode of that show I like or there's work to do … or … you know what I mean, any excuse is a good excuse. But, I do try and force myself to do this, because I always feel somewhat better afterward and I hope you would too!

Read. Just do it (Nike Swoosh for dramatics). Find something you love, fictional or biographical, or somewhere in between, and let it cocoon you in another world for a little bit.

Currently Reading:

Plan! I’m big on planning, not only does it help to minimise that tricky anxiousness, but it’s also fun. Planning travel to me, is almost as fun as the travel itself (Almost!) For the big Roadtrip this past spring from Ireland-Vegas-Cali it took months of prep and bookings and mapping out our days, and our nights, and where we wanted to see and where we didn’t. But, in the end it was completely worth it, as we each got to tick off places on our bucket list we’d done before, and all of us are planning a return trip in the near future. So, for me at least, it’s the little things that keep you looking ahead for the positives, could be a big dream trip, or it could be a weekend in the countryside, or on a beach an hour from home. Whatever it is, you can make it great if you think you can, you will!